Many Teens Arrested After Fights 'Ruin' Family-Friendly Event: Police
GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — Two men and numerous underage teens were arrested in connection with fights that left officers and juveniles alike injured after hundreds of unsupervised young people crowded the Gloucester Township Day drone light show, according to police.The fights began around 8:40 p.m. Saturday at Veterans Park in the 1200 block of Chews Landing Road and were not declared under control until shortly after 11 p.m., police said.“I am thankful that more injuries were not sustained to officers, the families attending the event, and even those involved in this disorderly conduct,” Police Chief David Harkins said in a news release, adding the fights “ruined a great family-oriented event.”“This type of lawlessness and violent riotous behavior will not be tolerated, and will not define the great community of Gloucester Township.”Ronald Jones, 33, of Camden, was charged with aggravated assault of an officer, escape and disorderly conduct and taken to county jail, police said. Kevin Coleman, 18, of Pine Hill, was charged with disorderly conduct and released, according to police.The underage teens, all of whom were charged with disorderly conduct and turned over to a guardian, ranged in age from 13 to 17 and were from Gloucester Township, Camden, Cherry Hill, Pine Hill, Winslow Township and Laurel Springs, police said. Two of the teens were girls and the rest were boys, according to police.The altercations began when a crowd of roughly 500 young people congregated around the basketball courts before the light show and started fighting and running recklessly, resulting in two arrests, police said. The crowd remained hostile, authorities requested more officers and the decision was made to start the show early, according to police.After the show, large crowds moved to the nearby Marketplace shopping center, where fights continued to break out, prompting additional requests for police and emergency medical services, authorities said.Fights were ongoing for two hours across the shopping center parking lot, with many of the instigators wearing black and covering their faces with hoodies or face masks, according to police. Most of the juveniles were from outside Gloucester Township, and had been dropped off and needed rides, police said.Several juveniles reported being assaulted and at least two suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene, police said. Officers from Gloucester Township and Clementon Borough also suffered minor injuries trying to break up a fight, according to police.Amid the chaos, Jones rode his bicycle at high speed into a group of officers dispersing a crowd, hitting a Gloucester Township officer from behind, knocking the officer to the ground and causing minor injuries, authorities said. Jones was immediately arrested but tried to slip out of his handcuffs, according to police.In total, nearly 100 officers from Gloucester Township, Camden County and Deptford Township responded to the incident, police said.The article Many Teens Arrested After Fights 'Ruin' Family-Friendly Event: Police appeared first on Gloucester Township, NJ Patch.
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